Setting the (Christmas) table

When the holidays roll around, I love to decorate my home-away-from-home. It simply doesn’t feel like the most wonderful time of the year without a few stockings adorning the mantlepiece and the fake tree standing at a glorious 5 feet and 4 inches (a mere few inches taller than myself…ahem). Even though it’s not like having a real tree, the fake one at least gives that sparkle and brightness to the living room and a pine scented candle can work wonders.

This year, however, is my first time moving the christmas decorating from the living room. . .  into a dining room. At first, I thought what on earth can I decorate this space with?  Although Jess’s Tiny Holiday Touches does the trick for the social parlour, what about the dining room and a massive dining table? I was terrified to end up plonking a nativity scene in the middle and be done with it. I thought no, there must be a better, more creative way to set the table for Christmas. I am hosting the book club Christmas party next weekend (yes, that’s right, I’m in a book club and book club celebrates christmas too, folks) and I needed to find something subtle, classic and festive to dress my naked table. I checked a few of my favourite fashion/home decor sites and found the inspiration I was seeking. With Meghan’s help, we scoured the dollar store and Wal-mart and spent a grand total of $35 on a classic dining room Christmas set up.

Here are a few different ways to dress up your table for the holiday season, including my own (nearly) finished product:

 With my own set up, I knew I was working with brown dishware and warm hues in wall colour and furniture, so gold decor was a safe bet but it turned out to be quite beautiful…